


Advanced Warnings: ...The Storm

by yinyang2261



Series: Advanced Warnings [8]
Category: The Tomorrow People (1973), The Tomorrow People (1992)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 09:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12010017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yinyang2261/pseuds/yinyang2261
Summary: Summary: Damian forces Warren into his final metamorphosis, resulting in severe consequences for the Tomorrow People.DISCLAIMER: The characters of John, Carol, Kenny, Stephen, Tim, Ginge and Chris Harding, Lefty, Harry Steen and Peter, the Time Guardian and the Galactic Federation are the sole property of Thames Entertainment and Nicklelodean. Although I have given names to certain relatives of the Tomorrow People, they are the property of Thames and Nicklelodan also. Warren Gray, Kim Sterling, Joe Atherton, Astra Utana and Damian are characters of my own and are not to be used without first contacting me.Authors Notes: Welcome to the seventh installment of Advanced Warnings. A period in time that takes place in betwen the first and second seasons of the series, The Vanishing Earth and the Blue and the Green. For those of you who are wondering when this particular story will be over. Give it another two stories with a possible epilogue.





	Advanced Warnings: ...The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> A Tomorrow's Guardians serial

October 7 6:03 a.m.  
Warren lunged and parried at his imaginary opponent. Usually when he went on his early morning workouts, he was able to feel a sense of calm and contemplation. Today, it wasn't coming at all. Which frustrated him even more as he swung upwards and down. Effectively taking out his imaginary foe.  
Events of the past week seemed to be catching up to him. So much that he couldn't wait for the others to come to the lab. Today was supposed to be the day that the emissaries from the Galactic Federation would be coming down. To invite them up to the Trig and to hopefully pick its future ambassadors.  
As he lunged and swept upward, he remembered the conversation he had with John a couple weeks ago. It wasn't too pretty and he actually had telekinetically thrown a glass at his one-time best friend. He hadn't said it then, but he was actually ashamed of his behavior afterwards. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. And John of late had been very overprotective of him. As he usually was. He was thinking how much longer John would be able to do that until he did something that was literally out of bounds of the young telepaths.  
Another one of his headaches flared up again. Even though he hadn't been using his powers, of late they had been getting worse. To the point that he didn't have to use any of his abilities for it to distract him. Warren had taken some aspirins earlier in the morning, but all it did was cause a dull throbbing that refused to go away. He gingerly sat down on the grass and proceeded to go into a soothing meditative state. His mentor Job taught him that when he was quite younger. It always seemed to work.  
Quite reluctantly, thoughts of Jobs sickness crept into his mind. What was it about life that it would continually play these cruel jokes on the people he loved. First his parents, then Fred, Julie, Job. But of course the worse were the people he could've saved when he had the chance. His thoughts were so intense that he could swear he heard the sound of the train as it beared down on the school bus. It seemed to get louder and louder.  
He opened his eyes, startled to find that he wasn't sitting in the park anymore, but in an open, grassy field. The rumbling sound came from behind and he quickly turned around. The faint scent of the salt ocean permeated his nostrils. And the realization that he was looking over a cliff. He noticed that he must've been a good 200 meters from the deceptively soft sands of the beach below.  
{{Hello Warren.}}  
The voice that thundered through his mind almost caused him to lose his balance. As he regained his composure, he realized the voice was coming from a person who seemed to be his age. But the quiet, dangerousness emanating from this being was enough to give him pause. Warren would wait until this person revealed more of himself.  
{{I've been watching you for quite some time now. I am curious. Why are you holding back?}}  
A familiar, wary suspicion enveloped Warren. This guy had bad news written all over him.  
"What do you mean? Hold back?"  
Suddenly, the most intense pain he had ever felt came flooding into him from all sides. It forcibly made him collapse onto the grass. But as quick as it came, it was gone again.  
{{This should make you more receptive to my communication. Understand this Warren, I will not tolerate speech!}}  
Warren watched as a similar sword that resembled his appeared in this beings right hand, who continued to path' inside his head as he began walking towards him.  
{{You will talk to me as an advanced viopath should. Do you understand?}}  
The flare up impossibly seemed to increase within him as he gripped his head in his hands. It felt like his skull was trying to forcibly separate from his body.  
"Get out of my head!"  
Damian raised his sword into an offensive readiness, steadily stalking toward him.  
{{I said you will address me with telepathy. Now!}}  
With that last word, Damian came forward preparing to strike at Warren. Using the sword like a club hammer, he came down with all his might. Warren immediately jaunted out of the spot.  
Damian didn't stop as his sword hit the ground, but instead swung around like a baseball player getting ready to hit a grand slam. A loud clang resounded as his sword connected with Warren's, who seemed quite surprised that he would have anticipated his move.  
Warren was glad that his reflexes hadn't failed him, and the opportunity to be able to defend himself was one thing his head was quite clear on. No second guesses here as with everything else. He knew what he had to do and how to do it.  
Launching into a series of complex swings and feints, he launched his own offensive at him. At the moment all Damian could do was block and defend.  
He's quite good at this.  
Damian decided he had enough of this and waited for an opening in Warren's offensive. Spotting it, he managed to knock his sword to one side and quickly raise his own to deliver a blow from the top. Warren was ready for this and easily crossed his sword with the opposing one, but he didn't anticipate Damian's kick to his stomach, which sent him flying onto his back.  
Damian walked toward Warren, watching as his opponent was trying to get back the air that was knocked out from him.  
{{You've been trained to fight very well. Even while you are in the throes of your metamorphosis. But I expected something of more substance coming from a telepath of your nature. Seems like your trainer wasn't as good as he would have liked to believe.}}  
The crass way that Damian mentioned his mentor had Warren jumping up in anger and coming after him. But Damian just shoved him back with a telekinetic push.  
{{You have no idea of your true potential and all that awaits you.}}  
[Who are you?] Warren immediately regretted using his telepathy as his head literally exploded again.  
{{So you can speak telepathically. I had begun to lose hope. I've been watching you for some time. I made it easier by having you concentrate more on your abilities than your school work. Which is why I set the fire at Oxford a couple weeks ago. I've followed your activities. Your daily rituals and routines. Your growing friendship with Carol.}}  
[Who are you?]  
{{My name is Damian.}}  
Warren watched as Damian made a slight bow of his head as if introducing himself to a guest. He still kept the sword in his defensive position, even as Damian lowered his. This person definitely knew everything that was going on lately. He seemed to even be the cause of some of it. He hastily figured that he would have to watch himself around this guy. Not let his emotions distract him. The ache inside his skull made him put a hand to his head.  
Damian just smiled at what Warren was going through. He understood the pain and the confusion. He realized that he would have to physically push him so he would have no choice but to use his abilities, to complete the transition.  
{{Don't worry. It's what all advanced telepaths go through after they've had their abilities for awhile. What's quite interesting about you is that it took far longer than it should have. Usually a viopath breaks out' quicker than a normal telepath.}}  
Using the distraction, Warren brought his sword down, which was effectively blocked.  
[What the blazes are you talking about?]  
Damian pushed Warren back and launched a series of offensive strikes, talking as he fought.  
{{It's what you are Warren. You're of the most rare and special type of telepath there is. An advanced viopath. Uninhibited by nature's joke of non-aggression that other telepaths are forced to adhere to. The whole universe is at your beck and call.}}  
Warren hooked Damians sword, forcing him towards him. As he passed, he swung around and almost got Damian in the back but he down blocked his attack. Using the momentary distraction, he struck at him with his left hand, staggering Warren back a couple feet.  
{{Even normal viopaths look at us in awe.}}  
Warren rubbed his mouth, a corner of it bleeding from his last knock down.  
{{You are strong. Look how you're using your abilities. Your anger is what's keeping you up. Enabling you to continue to fight me.}}  
Warren saw the look in Damians eyes as he was talking to him. Describing what had been going on. It was a look he was unfortunately all too familiar with.  
{{For instance when you looked inside this Hathaways head. To make him understand the errors of his ways.}}  
Warren's shame. He was still having problems with that. He felt like he had betrayed Carol and her family. And the others. His anger about it quickly started to rise.  
{{I am quite possibly in awe, Warren. I don't impress easily.}}  
[Really? Well, look at this in awe vilepath!']  
Ignoring the pain in his head, Warren launched back with everything he had learned. Mention of his wrong-doing to Carol's father had made him delirious with anger. Whether it was at Damian or himself, he wasn't sure, but he was going to make blasted sure that Damian wouldn't hurt any of his friends.  
They circled and fought each other for quite a few minutes. Feinting and parrying, swinging and blocking. Both were evenly matched and were giving everything they had into it. Damian found an opening and launched a kick at Warren's head. He rolled with it and using telekinetics to help, backflipped himself onto his feet and immediately resumed to launch a new offensive. Finding a quick opening, he hooked Damians sword and flung it out of his grasp. Not stopping there, he quickly came up to him and punched him in the nose while using his right foot to trip him up. He quickly was over him, pointing the sword at his throat.  
Damian looked up at him, defiantly.  
{{If you're insisting that you're a Tomorrow Person, than why are you pressing the attack? Why are you being the aggressor?}}  
This seemed to have distracted Warren for a bit. Not enough to let Damian out of his sight but to ponder quite quickly, his opponents words.  
Damian resumed his soothing talk.  
{{Yes. You do feel it don't you? You realize it. You've always realized it. How different you were from the others. The time you tore into that young punk that stole Carols bag. And the way it felt when you had Roger by the neck. You saw it. The fear they had of your power. Just let yourself feel it. Become one with it.}}  
[You're reading my mind.]  
He said it matter-of-factly. It wasn't a question.  
{{It's one of our abilities. Reading minds is one of our strongest powers.}}  
Damian slowly got up, looking Warren straight in the eye. Mesmerizing him with his calm voice.  
{{I know all about Roger and Earl. And your shame for not stopping them when you had the chance. But I'm here to tell you that you can make amends for that now. You can have the power to put Roger and his goons away for good. Just let me help you.}}  
Warren could only stand there with his sword still in its defensive position. Damian continued.  
{{You can take your vengeance on the others who harmed you and your friends. Your legal system failed you. It failed them. He was supposed to be in prison for a long time, not out on probation within 15 months. Time to take out the garbage' once and for all, wouldn't you say?}}  
Warren cautiously advanced toward him, his sword dropping from its defensive position.  
"As a good friend of mine used to say, you speak with honeyed words which leave something bitter once tasted.' "  
"But I have you thinking about it, don't I?"  
Warren was slightly taken aback from Damians first use of his vocals.  
"Well, you can talk," he said, mimicking Damians earlier words.  
"I can help you with your metamorphosis."  
Warren reflexively put his sword back in its defensive position as Damian reached out with an inviting hand.  
"I may be mixed up inside when it comes to my powers, but I still have enough sense not to take you up on your offer."  
Damian nodded. It was to be expected. He remembered his own metamorphosis and how he had insisted on going through it alone. Truly a most memorable moment. He reached out and his own sword came back into his hands.  
{{Of course you do. For now. You'll think differently when you completely go through your metamorphosis. A part that I will have a great significance in guiding you through. For now, just know that you will not have to worry about disappointing your friends for too much longer.}}  
[What do you mean?]  
{{Come Warren, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean. They're being kept busy even as we speak. Particularly your lady friend. Carol, I believe she is called.}}  
[What have you done with them?] Warren demanded.  
{{The boys I can't say as of yet, but she is in a place on the other side of the world. On some golden bridge in a place called Kornyforny'.}}  
Just as Damian finished saying his version of the word, Warren had jaunted in front of him again and struck him dead in the mouth. Damian went down, jaunting as he rolled over. Warren looked around for him but all he found was his haunting telepathic words.  
{{Think fast Warren. You're in an unfamiliar place. Will you have time to jaunt all the way to the lab and get a jaunting belt and save Carol, or should you just try and reach her? For all you know she could only be a few miles away. It's not like you don't have the ability.}}  
Warren called out telepathically to Tim and the others. There was no response. With no jaunting belt and no way to know where Damian had jaunted him too, the only thing he could do was take a chance on jaunting to where Carol was. He made a mental picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. It felt like his head was on the verge of splitting open as he jaunted toward his destination.  
The coldness enveloped him quickly as he gulped in a good amount of salt water before coming back up to the surface. Coming up and seeing the shoreline, Warren swam as quick as he could. He had expected to land in the ocean. But what he hadn't counted on was the huge sign hanging over what looked to be a boardwalk of some kind.  
Seaside Heights, New Jersey.  
Warren had a confused look on his face as the waves shoved him towards the shore,  
Idiot! It's not like I would've been able to do it on the first try!  
The coldness of the water seemed to have sapped what little physical strength he had left. He hadn't realized how the fight with Damian had left him so physically drained. Forcing him to rely on his powers to keep him going.  
Blasted vilepath' probably thought of this as well, he thought angrily.  
But he couldn't let Carol down. He had to get to her. Trying to calm his thoughts and anger, he concentrated as hard as he could to get that bridge in his mind. A literal explosion of pain ripped through his head as he jaunted from the area.  
He landed on some hard surface, clutching at his head as if it were going to separate from the rest of his body. The loud sound of tires screeching and horns blaring caused him to instinctively levitate himself out of harms way and to the side of the bridge.The sounds of metal hitting metal caused him to turn around to see two cars that had narrowly avoided him about ready to cause an even greater accident. Using his telekinesis he managed to barely stop them from hitting more vehicles.  
With that taken care of for now, he searched for Carol. Using his telepath finding abilities he looked upwards toward one of the towers. He saw a silhouette of a figure standing there and it looked like whoever it was, was getting ready to leap. Going purely on adrenaline and instinct, Warren jaunted up to the top of the tower.  
"Carol! Wake up!"  
Warren quickly grabbed at the back of her blouse and pulled her back from the edge, both tumbling back on the surface.  
It had seemed to Carol that she was waking up from a dream.  
"What happened? Where am I? I was walking towards the lab when..."  
She got a good look around at where she was, shock registering on her face, "Oh my God, how did I get up here?"  
A groan from behind caught her attention. She turned around to perceive her friend clutching at his head, taking quick breaths as if he had run a marathon.  
"Warren, what's wrong? Can you hear me?"  
She looked down at him with concern. She watched as he made affirmative nods of his head.  
[Sorry....can't talk....so winded. Trouble. Big trouble.]  
She quickly put a comforting hand on his face, "It's okay. I'll have Tim jaunt us back."  
As she was about to call out to Tim, Warren grabbed her hand.  
"Not.....as easy. We're in.....California. Golden Bridge. Can't jaunt.......no belt."  
Carol was momentarily confused. Quickly thinking that if he had no belt when he first got here, then he must've jaunted. But the distance.....  
"No wonder you're exhausted."  
She took out a small crystal.  
"Tim, can you hear me?"  
Yes Carol. Where are you. I have been trying to reach you all morning.'  
[I'm sure you have Tim. I'll explain later. I need you to home in on my telepathy and teleport a jaunting belt for Warren.]  
A couple seconds later, a black belt with silver-checkered markings on the front appeared before them. Helping Warren put it on, she inquired what was going on. Warren could only respond by saying that he would explain once they got back to the lab and that the others were in serious trouble.  
6:30 a.m.  
As Warren was resting on the bunk opposite the table beneath Tim, Carol had been trying for the past ten minutes to contact the others.  
"It's no use Tim. I can't get ahold of them."  
I have been trying all morning as well. I fear something terrible has happened to them.'  
"I think you might be right about that Tim."  
Carol looked back to watch a still weakened Warren attempting to come towards the table. She quickly had him put an arm around her shoulder and guided him towards the table.  
Warren felt like he was seeing the whole world through some red, dream-like haze. He wondered if he was even awake anymore. And his head. He didn't know what scared him more, the fact that it felt like his skull was going to explode or the fact that he seemed to be able to ignore the pain if he wasn't thinking of it.  
"Tim, have you ever heard of a viopath?"  
No Warren, I haven't. At least, not yet.'  
"Yeah, I know what you're trying to say."  
Carol demanded to know what they meant.  
Warren took a deep breath to calm his turmoil emotions, which threatened to run wild.  
"Remember when we talked about how Tim felt like he was missing files on certain areas of the Federation? I think its safe to assume that this could be one of them."  
"Okay, we know all that. But what about this person that you fought? Who is he?"  
"He says that he's a viopath. Well, an advanced viopath. His name is Damian and from what I've seen, he has the same abilities as we do. It's just that instead of the non-aggression ways that you, John and the others have, he's the exact opposite. He's extremely combative and has no problem reading minds whether you let him in or not."  
Carol had to sit in her seat to process all this. It was unreal. They had met different races who were telepathic and some that were not. But in all their dealings, they had never met a war-like telepath.  
You said that he was an advanced viopath. What is that Warren?'  
He looked up at the hanging computer, "I wish I knew Tim. I guess its the same thing that I'm going through with my abilities. More accessible, stronger..." he paused as he remembered what Damian had told him earlier, "...and what I'm starting to become."  
Warren suddenly leaped to his feet ignoring the sudden flare up in his head, "I have to leave. I'm a danger to all of you!"  
Before he could even start to the door that led out to the alley, Carol had jaunted in front of him, blocking his way.  
"No you're not! We need you right now. I know you won't harm us."  
She could see the worried and panicked look in Warren's eyes.  
"Look at me. Look at me," she said softly. Doing her best to calm her friend down.  
[You won't harm me. I know you won't.]  
She put a comforting hand on his cheek, trying to sooth his turmoiled emotions.Warren was trying to say something.  
"What is it?"  
{{I think he wants to tell you to not believe your own words.}}  
Intruder! Warren, Carol jaunt out of here now!'  
Damian stepped out of the shadows and raised his arm, curling his hand into a fist and pointing it at Tim.  
Suddenly one of Tim's bulbs exploded. Carol could've sworn she heard Tim cry out in pain as small bits and parts of him sprinkled onto them.  
{{You're a fool to think otherwise. Warren is like me, and very soon, he will accept what he has become.}}  
Damian menacingly approached her, {{And then every telepath in the galaxy will know about us once again.}}  
{{SHUT UP!!]]  
Warren used all his strength to telekinetically push Damian back onto the jaunting pad. At that moment, Tim had opened up the door that lead towards the alley. While at the same time managing to envelope a restraining beam around the viopath.  
Run, get help. Find John and the others. Warn the emissaries!'  
An excited Carol responded, "No! We can't leave you here alone with him!"  
Before she could say more, Warren pushed her towards the door.  
"There's nothing more we can do! We have to leave now.We have no idea how to fight him an we have to get away to learn more. Go!"  
Warren, take care of Carol. Find the emissaries and tell them what has happened.'  
Warren shoved and pushed an unwillingly and pleading Carol outside into the alley. As soon as both of them were out, Tim closed the door.  
Carol kept hitting at Warren, wanting to go back for Tim, but he startled both of them when he telepathically yelled at her to shut up. Realizing that he had scared her, he tried to calm down. But everything was in such a wild and chaotic state, it was all he could do to stay here in the moment.  
"Carol, we can't stay. We have to find the others and warn the emissaries about this guy. If they've heard of viopaths, I'm sure they'll know of a way to neutralize him. But we're not going to be able to do anything if we don't leave now."  
Carol was about to say more but he cut her off, "Do you want Tim's sacrifice to be for nothing? He's giving his all in there right now for us."  
There were tears coming down her cheeks as Warren explained his reasonings. All she could do was nod her head. Grabbing her hand, he lead the way out of the alley as quickly as he could manage.  
Meanwhile back in the lab, Tim was doing his best to keep optium power to the restraining beam keeping Damian in check. But he soon started to realize that this viopath was toying with him. Within moments he was out of the beam and telekinetically started to demolish the lab. Chairs were flying and bunks were ripped out of the walls. Tables overturned and electrical wires torn from their housings.  
The hoses and power lines that Tim was hooked to, he was ripping out. Causing his precious biofluids to splatter everywhere around the lab. Tim felt like he was in the middle of a raging storm somewhere. Quite suddenly, he began to feel weaker as his life energy was systematically being destroyed.  
Still defiant as he saw Damian approach, he responded.  
You shall never have them. They will find a way to defeat you,' Tim said weakly.  
Damian looked upwards towards the battered and leaking computer, an obvious scowl on his face. He turned around and mentally turned on the wall monitor. After a bit, he managed to tune onto a camera that showed the young telepaths running towards a main street.  
"So tell me Tim. How can they defeat this?"  
Damian reached into Warren's mind and concentrated.  
Warren collapsed on the ground. Whatever this metamorphosis was doing to him, it seemed to be stretching his pain threshold to the limit and beyond. Carol kneeled beside and asked if he would be able to go on. He told her to give him a minute before they moved on, and saw the most horrible thing from his nightmares he had the displeasure of seeing. He heard Carol give out a startled yell as well.  
There, in front of them was his phobia of spiders turned hellious. It must've been a good two meters tall, with black, blood-dripped legs expanding outwards for a length of at least five meters. Warren couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. His fear had taken over and all he could do was stare in terror of this horrific vision.  
Carol was quite terrified herself, until she started to realize that it was another trick from Damian. She started to pull Warren to his feet. Pleading with him to ignore his fear.  
In the lab, Damian watched as the female used her own limited holography to change the spider into something more pleasing to Warren's eye. After a couple seconds of struggling, they ran outside from the alley. Damian increased the hold he had on Warren and they stopped again. This time, it was all Carol could do to not scream in paralyzed fear, as he brung out her worse nightmare. He turned around preparing to go after them. But before he could, an incessant beeping noise caught his attention. As he turned around once more to the monitor, an image of a young woman appeared. Someone who was very much familiar to him.  
"John, I'm glad I finally got through. I should be landing down in Hyde Park in about fifteen minutes. Can't believe I beat the emissaries. But we have some serious things to talk about and...."  
Damian watched as the sight of the wrecked lab began to instill itself in her vision. As her eyes began searching for the cause, he jaunted right in front of the monitor making sure that she could see him. The shocked look on her face would be priceless.  
Kim Sterling whispered the name, "Damian."  
He smiled at her recognition, "Hello again Ms. Sterling. Just can't stay away from my charming personality can you?"  
An intense look of quiet anger rose within her as memories of their last confrontation came to her mind.  
"I got your charming' right here murderer," she said quietly, "what have you done with the others? Where are they?"  
Damian smiled.  
{{Don't worry Ms. Sterling. All will be revealed in good time. In fact, I'm predicting that you'll be in the center of it all. Just like you were before.}}  
"Be careful. I've grown in a lot of ways. I'm not the naive little girl you were able to distract anymore."  
Damian nodded knowingly, "I wouldn't want it any other way."  
As Tim was listening to the exchange he began concentrating as best he could. He locked on to the jaunting belts and teleported Carol and Warren away from the vicinity of the lab. Quite possibly, he rightly thought, he last act before his end.  
Damian quickly turned around, "What have you done?! Where are they?"  
Tim could only weakly respond, but it was with a hint of confidence. He had to believe that Warren and Carol would find the others and together they would put an end to his plans.  
A place where you'll never find them.'  
Damian squared his jaw as he concentrated on their whereabouts. Within a minute he knew where. He grinned wickedly at the damaged computer.  
"Nice try. But as it is with all us advanced viopaths and telepaths, respectively, we can be on the same planet and still sense one another. I shall enjoy having you sense their deaths later on. It's the only reason I don't destroy you now."  
He turned around to face Kim once more, "You cannot stop that which has been started. I shall be awaiting your presence."  
Before she could respond, Damian concentrated and destroyed the monitor. Time to put an end to this once and for all. He looked up at the dying biotronic computer.  
"And you will witness the beginning of the end for the Federation."  
Damian jaunted.  
Warren and Carol jaunted out of hyperspace into an industrial section of the city.Carol literally dragged him towards a building. She telekinetically opened the doors as they rushed inside. Locking it, she wandered aimlessly for a bit before finally finding a room she considered would be safe for them for a bit, at least a few minutes. She went back for Warren and together they staggered inside. He dropped to the floor, exhausted. Carol eyed the room, taking in everything. It looked like they were in a large classroom of sorts.  
"Carol."  
She quickly kneeled down beside him. He was whispering something but she couldn't understand him. She told him to use telepathy.  
[{Leave. While you can. Leave me.}]  
"I can't. I won't. We just need to find the others and we can...."  
{{I SAID LEAVE!!]}  
As Warren loudly pathed to her, half the desks in the room flipped themselves over and shot across the room. Banging loudly against the wall and breaking the window on the same side. He kept doing the same thing and saying the same words to her as if he were a broken record. He couldn't help it. It was like something was making him do this.  
Carol pleaded with him to stop but all he did was strike at her telekinetically, shoving her back toward the same wall. A sharp pain raked her back as she heard herself being slammed against the accumulated desks. She looked up just in time to see a chair coming straight as an arrow toward her face. Instinctively, she jaunted out of the way.  
Through his chaotic haze, Warren realized what he was doing and screamed every obscenity he could think of to clear his head. He watched as he saw her reappear and land badly on the floor. Her face twisted in obvious pain. He was about to go to her when Damian appeared out in front of him.  
Quickly seizing the advantage, Damian held Warren at bay telekinetically. With him struggling, he than lifted a desk and set it down roughly across Carol's body.  
[{Let her go, you bastard!}]  
{{You see and feel what is happening to you and still you resist. I don't understand Warren. You actually seem to be holding your change back. I have a suspicion on that and if its what I believe it is, then we shall indeed go to places unseen by normal telepaths.}}  
Warren couldn't take his eyes off of Carol, who was conscious now and struggling to get out from underneath the overturned desk.  
{{You do realize that the only way to save you friend is to undergo it completely don't you? Why don't I give you an added incentive.}}  
For a split-second, Warren wondered what he was going to do. He than heard a choked sound coming from Carol, her teeth clenched and face scrunched up in agony. Damian had somehow increased the weight of the desk and was using it to slowly crush the life from her.  
{{NO!}}  
Warren couldn't stop it anymore. Whatever was happening with him, he let it wash over him like a waterfall. He released himself from Damians telekinetic hold and started to throw anything his way. But all the things he was throwing at him couldn't seem to put a dent in his telekinetically enhanced shield.  
"Watch, as I slowly crush the life from your friend."  
Carol could not get the desk off her, and now Damian was using it to kill her and to bait Warren. But she couldn't do anything. The intense weight of the desk was purposely pressing the air from her body. She couldn't even scream in pain as her whole world was starting to fade away. As she was losing consciousness, she thought she noticed a new body appear in front of her. Then a thankful darkness enveloped her.  
The sudden appearance by Kim Sterling distracted Damian. She immediately went up to him and put her hands to his head, forcing him to release the invisible hold he had on Carol.  
"Warren! Get her out of here, now!"  
"Forget it! I'm taking him down now!"  
Damian viciously knocked Kim down to face what Warren had to offer. It was all he could do stem his wild telekinetic attack on him. Anything that wasn't bolted down was  
thrown. The whole room became a chaotic, telekinetic battle ground as they both found whatever they could to throw at each other.  
Kim raised a telekinetic shield between herself and the fighting viopaths, protecting Carol as she did. She was too late. Warren just about succumbed to the darker nature of his powers. So much that Carol's safety wasn't his concern anymore.  
Damian was holding his own. Warren was still weak from the almost complete metamorphosis. He was just waiting for the right time. It would require split-second timing.  
Kim watched as the person she knew as Warren became somebody different inside. Savagely and without quarter, he continued to throw everything he could find at Damian. This didn't make sense. How could he be an AVP if what she felt were more along the lines of an ATP? Something clearly was not right. Just as she thought that, Warren was preparing to jaunt when Damian suddenly launched a strong telepathic assault towards him. Warren disappeared, not returning.  
Where'd he go?  
Damian looked down to answer her question.  
"I've shut his mind down. He will be stuck in hyperspace until I retrieve him."  
Kim prepared herself to combat Damian but all he did was stay his ground. Not moving.  
"For now, your failure will be enough for me. I still need you. And you will play into my hands. You have no choice."  
Damian disappeared, leaving his confident and harsh laughter behind.  
The silence became quite loud as she realized that it was over.  
Why do these megalomaniac types always feel the need to laugh about crap like this anyway? she thought.  
A sound of movement from beneath her startled her. Carol opened her eyes to perceive a familiar face.  
"Kim?"  
[[Don't talk. Conserve your strength. Speak telepathically if you have to.]]  
[What happened? Where's Warren?]  
Kim looked around. The damage that Warren and Damian caused fighting one another had made the ceiling quite weak. She wasn't about to tempt fate.  
[[I'll explain later. Right now I have to get you back to the lab. I can help you and Tim better.]]  
Carol was extremely unsettled with all that had happened and it seemed to take all her physical strength to not come apart emotionally. About Warren, John and the others, Tim.  
[I think Tim is dead.]  
[[Not yet. But I have to get to him now. Can you jaunt?]]  
[Yes. I'm sure I can.]  
[[Good. When we get to the lab, I'm going to need your help finding every piece of him. Every tube, every fluid, every kind of material that was used in his assembly. Do you understand?]]  
Carol nodded quickly. She slowly stood up, holding on to Kim for support. Together they jaunted out of the building.  
It was just at that time as Damian thought about it that he saw a figure straight ahead in the distance. Smiling inwardly, he jaunted to the area, reappearing next to an unconscious Warren. Who was fast starting to come apart. Since he wasn't awake, he had to put a matter transporter on Warrens wrist. Hyperspace was quite a non-tolerant mistress. Whether a telepath or viopath, they all were affected the same way by the laws and rules of it. Advanced or not. As he locked it into place, he thought about the fortunate circumstances of Kim's presence. Things would be moving a lot quicker then anticipated, but still pretty much according to plan. Quickly programming it for the destination he had in mind, he then turned it on and they jaunted out of hyperspace.  
6:43 a.m.  
Carol felt herself leaning against Kim as they dematerialized onto the littered jaunting pad. She groaned as she took in the destroyed lab. They both slowly stepped down from the pad.Her back felt like it had a wrench in it. As Kim helped her down onto a stable bunk, she put her hands on her.  
"Tim, where is everybody? Have you found them?"  
There was no response from the loyal biotronic computer. Carol was going to say more but Kim bade her to be quiet.  
"We'll worry about Tim later. Relax. Hopefully this will only take a minute."  
Carol felt a soothing warmth envelope her. Kim systematically traced every inch of her back. She let out a sigh of relief as the pain purposely disappeared. Within a couple minutes, she was sitting upright. A grateful expression on her face. She took a glance at the darkened computer that until recently was full of life.  
"Oh no."  
Kim took her quickly by the shoulders, "I know you've been through a lot. But I'm going to need your help right now. You have to help me find all of Tims parts. Everything do you understand?"  
Carol face her, "Why? How can you heal him?"  
Kim released her as she went searching for the scattered pieces of Tim.  
"I don't have time to explain. At least not now. All I know is we're going to need his help and this is going to take all my energy."  
Carol looked at her in disbelief at first. But realizing the importance of saving her friend, she quickly went to work.  
It was a good 30 minutes later as they put the last of Tim's fluids and parts onto the table.  
"Well, we did what we could. I'm going to need your help Carol. If you're willing."  
"What do you want me to do?"  
"Believe it or not, I'm really hoping I can repair Tim. I'm not too good at this biotronic stuff yet. While I'm healing him, I could wind up draining every iota of my life energy. I should be able to fix him without doing that. I'm going to need you as my anchor. To keep me in the here and now. This is going to take some time. Think you're up to it? It is dangerous and we both might be lost. But this is the only way to save him."  
"Of course. But we have to do it now."  
Kim mimicked Carols earlier words, "Of course."  
They placed their hands together on the cracked table. Just barely touching their fingertips together. Kim thought that this would take quite awhile. She felt quite tired already. She had been using her abilities quite often in the past week. Techno-healing was the most intense. She had to do it when her craft was disabled a couple days ago, and then fighting Damian took even more out of her. But they needed Tim. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the task at hand.  
9:30 a.m.  
Damian had put Warren in a healing trance. He would be unconscious for a good couple hours yet. He looked down at his find. Such potential. Such power. Damian had done a genetic scan on him within the first hour of bringing him to the warehouse. His suspicions had indeed been confirmed. It explained why the metamorphosis had taken so long and why Warren was able to hold back most of it. Damian realized he would have to take special precautions with him. At least until they were jaunted back in Earth's past. Once there, he could train and mold him into anything he desired.  
Damian looked out toward the area where the other telepaths were. All were wired to the machines advanced neural ways. They may be advanced viopaths but they still needed an extra boost to travel back in time at that distance, without being discovered by the Time Guardians.  
He turned around to begin his next and final part of the plan.  
10:36 a.m.  
A tired and exhausted Kim looked up at the almost repaired computer, "Feeling any better Tim?"  
It took a good ten seconds before Tim answered, I am starting.......to be able to......speak better.........now.'  
Carol, who had been monitoring the whole procedure was in an understandable awed state. She had never seen such power in healing before. She watched as Kim was able to perform delicate tasks of repairing wirings, tubes, putting the fluids back inside. But it wasn't without a price and a couple times she had to slow Kim down, lest her mind be shutdown from the continued strain.  
Kim arms suddenly struck the table in exhaustion. Carol was by her side immediately.  
"You have to take a time out. You're wearing yourself out."  
[[I can't. What I do within the next couple hours is vital for Tim.]]  
"Well it's not going to help if you're so exhausted you don't even know what you're doing," she shot back.  
Kim contemplated quickly.  
"Thirty minutes. No more. You understand?"  
Carol agreed and watched as Kim walked toward the bunk and went into a sound slumber. She would stay awake and make sure nobody disturbed them. With her life if it had to come to that. She realized that Kim was the only one who could save her friends. And she rightly thought that she was entirely too young to be losing good friends in this time of her life.  
London Airport 1:16 p.m.  
Job Atherton stepped into the busy spacious lobby. It amazed him that throughout his travels, he had never found the time to visit England. He winced a little at the slight pain he felt in his leg. He leaned on his cane for a bit before continuing on to the baggage claim. He had been using it a lot these past couple months. He didn't mind too much. He was actually getting quite good at using it for entertainment. A regular Fred Astair, he would think to himself. He dug out his wallet and looked at the number that Warren had given him, in case his treatments didn't work out. He spotted the nearest phone and walked towards it. Job couldn't help but chuckle at the imagined surprised expression on Warrens face when he saw him here.  
2:05 p.m.  
"It's done."  
Kim felt like she had gone a few rounds with a boxer. She was physically and mentally drained.  
There are no words to express the gratitude I have in your abilities Ms. Sterling,' Tim said humbly, thank you.'  
"That was amazing. You are truly talented," Carol added.  
Kim ignored the gratitudes. She felt that she was going to have to take a good couple hours rest before going after Damian, but she still had one more responsibility to do before than. She let out a deep breath before continuing.  
"If I fixed you right Tim, then I'm hoping you'll be able to access these files. Federation Protocols Alpha Tae. One-one-zero."  
Carol went to her with concern as Kim closed her eyes. Carol thought that she had fallen asleep until she opened them back up again suddenly. She looked up at her.  
"I need rest Carol. You have to promise me not to go off to find your friends. If Damian caught you again, he would most assuredly kill you. Do you understand?"  
"You need rest."  
Kim nodded as Carol helped her off the chair and towards the bunker that miraculously had missed out on Damians tantrum. As she helped her lay down, Kim telepathically repeated what she said.  
"I promise. Now get some sleep. You've done a lot today," Carol gently said.  
[[Wake me in two hours.]]  
Carol looked down thoughtfully at the Federation agent. In all her time of being a Tomorrow Person, she had never seen abilities as hers before. It was unbelievable. The power she had.  
Carol.'  
"Yes Tim," she responded, not leaving her eyes off Kim.  
Although Ms. Sterling had repaired a substantial amount of myself, I still find that I cannot access certain files. Although the access code she did give me has unveiled many questions to our answers. I am unable to put them on the monitor so I will need your undivided attention.'  
Carol went to the nearest chair and literally collapsed in it. Her body was still aching from the all the running and fighting.  
"I'm so tired."  
Relax. I shall go through it all slowly.'  
5:15 p.m.  
For the past fifteen minutes that Kim had been awake, she had managed to fix the monitor and another part of Tim, which enabled him to materialize a couple cups of tea on the still-cracked table. Tim told her he had been trying to reach the Federation but was still unable to get past the barrier that Damian purposely made to prevent interstellar messages. Kim feared that within the next hour she would have to face Damian alone. She was wondering how she would be able to do just that, in her still weakened state when she caught Carol giving her the eye.  
"So how's your sister been since the kidnapping?"  
Carol was caught off-guard, "What? Oh. She's recovered very well. Thank you for asking."  
Kim just nodded. She took another sip of her tea and noticed that Carol was still eyeing her. It seemed like she was wanting to ask her a question.  
"What?"  
Carol took a sip of her tea.  
"So what are these ATP's? Are there many of you?"  
Kim sat down in her chair. It was time to tell her the facts.  
"Well. It's hard to explain. We breakout like any other telepath, but later on down the road, we metamorphosis. The Federation scientists think that the reason there's a long gap in between is so our bodies can strengthen itself up for the coming change. As for why it happens. Nobody really knows."  
Kim shrugged as she continued, "Out of the millions of Federation worlds out there, maybe one in 100,000 might have an ATP. Currently in this galaxy alone, there are eleven. Throughout the known galaxies, there might be about fifty."  
"So its very rare, then."  
Kim smiled, "And thankfully so."  
"If you're so advanced, why do you travel in starcraft when you could just jaunt down to anywhere in the galaxy."  
Kim chuckled to herself, "Carol, we can't jaunt from planet to planet. We would need to operate the same equipment as you would when making interstellar travel. But to answer your question, the majority of Federation worlds don't believe we exist."  
Carol had an incredulous look on her face, "I don't believe it. How could they not?"  
Kim looked thoughtful for a bit, as if trying to remember.  
"I'm not sure. Astra, another teammate of mine from the planet Zeltreas has this interesting hobby of trying to find out the Federations history. All that she and my commander, whose name is also Astra by the way, have found out is that we go back all the way to the Federations very origins."  
A puzzled look crossed Carol's face, "And you were never able to find out what kind of role you ATP's played back then?"  
Kim shrugged again and put her tea down, "When I find that out I'll let you know. But it's the reason why we use starcraft to travel around most of the time. That way our unique signature won't be noticed. Although we occasionally use interstellar teleportation. Whatever happened back then, it's made the Federation very cautious about letting other worlds know we exist. Currently only five ATP's are officially recognized by the Federation."  
"So what do all of you do throughout the galaxies?"  
"We go to worlds that require a special way of handling. And not to use the tired cliche' but if I told you what types of worlds, I'd have to kill ya."  
Carol felt her body tense up for a bit at her choice of words.  
Kim was familiar with the reaction. She slowly set her cup down. An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room as she waited for the question that thankfully, never came.  
"You have a nice laugh. I don't think I've ever heard it."  
Kim studied her for a moment, "You caught me at an off moment. Don't worry. I'll be back to my witchy self in a couple hours. Then I'm going after Damian."  
Although my studies of your particular abilities is quite limited, Kim. I believe you should take at least another eight hours recuperation.'  
Kim looked up at Tim, "Believe me Tim there's nothing I would like better but I don't think your friends can wait that long. The only way to distract him would be me. That way Carol can find them and get them out of there."  
"What about Warren? We can't just leave him there."  
"Might not have much choice. He could be turned by now. I would wait for Astra and the other ATP's but there isn't too much time left. In fact, I'll be quite surprised if they're still here. They might've jaunted back in time already."  
Kim cursed and let out a harsh sigh.  
"Blast it. We don't even know where they are."  
Although I am not up to par, I might have a suggestion on where to look.'  
"Are you sure Tim? You know where they are?" Carol hopefully asked.  
As I said earlier, I might know where to look. I would show you both on the monitor but I fear that its not working again.  
Kim was getting impatient.  
"Well get on with it Tim. Describe where he might be."  
There is an industrial section near the Thames River. Over the past week, I have noticed unusual readings emanating from the vicinity. It had gotten stronger during the days I was unable to contact the Federation. Which coincidentally enough is where the jamming seems to be originating from.  
Kim immediately got out of her seat, "Sounds like a good place to start as any."  
Carol grabbed her shoulder, "Wait a minute. You don't think that Damian will be waiting for us? It has to be a trap."  
"I appreciate your concern but I already know it's a trap. He wouldn't have let Tim know where the emanations were coming from if it wasn't But the sooner I get there, the less time he has of leaving our time period. Wait twenty minutes until you jaunt over there. I'll try and distract him while you retrieve your friends."  
"But you're still weak. You couldn't possibly be able to keep him away for too long. There has to be another way," Carol literally pleaded. She felt like she had lost everybody she cared for and she wasn't about to lose Kim. Whether she had gotten along with her or not.  
Kim stared down at Carol, "Well if there is, I don't see it coming our way anytime soon. Although it would be nice if our answers would just present themselves at a front door."  
The door to the alley suddenly opened up making Carol yelp in surprise and Kim fumbling for a non-existent stun gun. The two figures emerged, causing Carol to cry out for joy. She literally jumped up out of her chair and raced toward the familiar shape of Ginge Harding, who was caught off guard as he was practically tackled by the young, blonde teen.  
"Ere' now. Leave a couple ribs intact."  
>From behind, two more figures came inside. Lefty, Ginge's partner in crime and Chris Harding who was Ginge's younger brother.  
"Hey Ginge, I thought you said this Tim was meticulous about keeping this lab clean. Looks like a bloomin' hurricane hit this place."  
"Yeah," Lefty softly replied.  
Me and my big mouth, thought a very patient Kim.  
"What are you doing here?"  
Ginge cocked his head to one side, blonde hair that had gotten longer since hitting the road, softly swaying.  
"What do ya mean? I sent a letter to Kenny a couple weeks ago. It said we would be coming back to town this week."  
Carol made a very audible sigh as she barely recalled the excited youngster telling everybody about the latest adventure that Ginge and company were having on their cross-country motorcycle trek. She had been in a rut with her family at that time about her "adventures" and associating with her friends. Events of the past few weeks had made that seem like a lifetime ago.  
Kim purposely cleared her throat to bring Carol out from her thoughts.  
After a quick and shortened version of events that had happened over the past couple months that left the trio's collective mouths hanging from their face, Kim came up with an idea.  
"Under normal circumstances, I would not even consider it. But Damian is up to something big when he goes back in Earth's history. He wanted Warren for a purpose. And with having to use my abilities to the extreme of late, we could use all the help we can get."  
"So what do you want with us?" asked a very wary Ginge.  
Kim could see in his eyes that he didn't trust her too much. Which was fine either way. Not that the extra help would hinder Damian's attempt to go back in time. But she was also sensible enough to realize that what they needed to do was get the other telepaths back and if possible, Warren. Though she wasn't counting on the latter. For the upteenth time, she wished that they could send a communiqué to the emissary ship or to Astra and the rest of the ATP's. If they were here they might have a fighting chance. But to go up against Damian now would be suicide. Still she had a reasonable plan, but they would need a couple things from her ship before they could go any further.  
"We'll go to my ship. I'll explain on the way."  
6:00 p.m.  
Lefty cradled the air pulse rifle like it was his own offspring. He marveled at the workmanship and the obvious care that was taken to construct such a weapon of meticulous timing. He looked up to see the others staring at him with much concern.  
"Since you seem to like it so well, come over here and I'll show you how to operate it without injuring yourself," Kim replied.  
Ginge responded with a snicker, "Lefty can't shoot. He doesn't have the brains to learn how to shoot that thing."  
"I'll show you brains, you overgrown ape," Lefty said as he aimed it right at Ginge.  
Kim immediately took the weapon away from him and fixed him with the most intense look she could give.  
"I don't know where you think you are. But this isn't the Wild West out here. If you can't handle this responsibility, then I'll find someone else and leave you here."  
An apologetic look spread across the bikers face as he realized his mistake.  
Ginge came to his defense, "Hey! Don't blame him. I was the one who badgered him. He really is a good shot. At least he is at the arcade."  
Carol watched as a loud exasperated breath escaped from Kim. In the little while that she had known her, she already knew when Kim had reached her patience. It was time to step in.  
"Ginge. Lefty. Chris. This isn't a game. We all almost lost our lives within the past twelve hours. Believe me, we don't want you to get hurt but we don't have too many options. We have to get to them and stop Damian from accomplishing what he has planned. But we need you to listen. And to act responsibly."  
Carol went up to the trio, "We need your help. But it won't help if you're doing your own thing. Do you understand?"  
Chris and Lefty nodded while Ginge again apologized for his behavior.  
"Okay gang. Let's get this started."  
As they moved out, Kim hung back with Carol as she stuffed a telepathic jamming device in her pocket.  
"I'm sure you don't want to hear this but I don't want you going after Warren."  
A very frustrated look came upon Carol's face, "We have to. I'm not leaving him behind with that psychopath."  
Kim turned her around and grasped her firmly on the shoulders, "I don't either. But none of us are in the position to challenge Damian right now. Physically or mentally. All we're doing is trying to wreck whatever it is he built to go back in time with and to get your people out of there."  
An unaccustomed anger welled inside Carol, "Look, I know you two haven't gotten along but that's no reason to leave him behind. I know we can turn him around. I can't just give up on him."  
"Carol, I know you have strong feelings for him. But you can't let your feelings cloud your judgment on reality. I should know."  
"How would you know?" Carol asked.  
She watched as a fleeting array of emotions swept across Kim's face. Carol had no doubt that Kim knew what she was talking about. But that last bit seemed to reveal something about her past. And she had the uncomfortable feeling that Damian had been a part of it for a little while.  
"I just do. Please take my word on that," she said very softly.  
Carol watched as Kim turned on her heel and followed the others toward the motorcycles. There was definitely a nerve that had been touched. She made a mental note to ask her about what happened. After they got of this alive.  
Damian watched the readouts as the temporal energies grew stronger. Channeling Warren's energy into device had improved it a hundred fold. Enough to send them both, back into Earth's past. He went to the other part of the machine to check on his friends. Their energies would keep the device from fluctuating too much, keeping the readings within the normal parameters. Although Damian could send them both to the coordinates of that particular era, the added power of three regular telepaths would ensure that he could get it down to the hour if need be.  
Just a little while, he thought.  
6:33 p.m.  
They had been there ten minutes, waiting for Kim to finish her reconnaissance of the industrial district. Carol was thinking back to the hasty exchange they had earlier. During the motorcycle trip, she tried to telepathically ask Kim what had happened that involved Damian. She refused to talk about it, saying that they should concentrate on the mission at hand and not worry about Warren.  
Filing the conversation they had away in her mind, to hopefully be resumed later, Carol looked thoughtfully at her friend Ginge. She still found it hard to believe that less than a year ago they had been opposing each other over Stephen. Since that time, they had gotten to know each other and help one another out through some hazy times. She had become quite fond of him. Ever since the time on Rabowski's ship, she could really tell the type of man he was. Oh sure, he tried his best to hide it behind a cocky and self-assured exterior. But she realized that he also had a very honorable side to him. It also touched her heart that he had been keeping close with Kenny by all the letters he wrote to the youngster.  
She looked around at the other bikers who had since called themselves the Dinosaurs. At least that's what she thought they called themselves. They all had a picture of some type of a prehistoric creature on the backs of their leather jackets. With the word Dinosaur written at the top. Someday she would have to ask where they had gotten their name from.  
"Here she comes," whispered Chris.  
The others looked as they saw a lithe figure gracefully and silently coming toward them.  
"We're going to have to move quick. I'm not sure how long the jamming device will keep us hidden."  
She pointed out where she had seen Damian and the others at a particular building. They went over it one last time. Lefty would lead the other bikers, making a ruckus and as much noise as they could. When Damian would go to check it out, she would then keep him preoccupied while Carol, Chris and Ginge would go inside and rescue John and the others.  
As Lefty and the rest of the bikers were prepping their cycles, Carol took Kim aside.  
"What happens if we do manage to knock out that machine. We still don't know what to do with him."  
"I'm hoping I'll be able to plant a bug on him so I'll know where he is later on. Not that anything goes as planned anyway. I also have a prototype jamming device that should scramble his mind long enough for you and the others to teleport to safety. By then his communication jamming equipment should be history. Have Tim contact the emissaries and have them teleport all of you to their ship. You'll be safe as long as you're not on the same planet as he is."  
"What about you?"  
"I'll be right behind you, don't worry."  
"Kim, I know we haven't gotten along too well in the past, but I......well..."  
"Don't worry about it. We'll get through this somehow. Now get your people out of here. Don't use any of your abilities. He'll know you're here if you do. Wait for the signal."  
Kim watched as Carol hastily got up to leave with Ginge and Chris. As soon as they were out of sight, she turned to Ginge's silent partner Lefty.  
"Remember what you and the others have to do right?"  
Lefty nodded his head. As he was getting ready to go to his bike, Kim took hold of his arm.  
"I'm not really too good at this, but I'm sure I speak for Carol as well when I say that I appreciate what all of you are doing. I pray we make it out whole and intact."  
Lefty could only just smile at her as he hopped on his bike.  
Carol was right. He doesn't talk too much.  
Carol, Ginge and Chris hunkered behind the building that housed Damian and his temporal device.  
"Why is it whenever we go somewhere, the place seems to be on the verge of falling apart?" Ginge asked good-naturedly, trying to break the tension.  
Before anybody in the group could respond, they heard a ruckus going on in the front of the building. The Dinosaurs were hooting and hollering as loud as they could. Throwing rocks at the windows and bottles on the streets. They also saw as Damian came out to telekinetically throw a rusted out car toward the thick of them.  
Chris released an audible sigh of relief as he saw his friends barely get out of the way. They watched as Kim made her move against the viopath, levitating from the ground and generally taunting him to try harder.  
"She's got a lot of guts, that one has," Ginge replied.  
As Kim, Lefty and the other members of the motorcycle gang were distracting Damian, Carol, Ginge and Chris managed to surreptitiously ease themselves into the building. Quickly, they walked past rows and rows of crates and boxes. Ginge, who was carrying an air pulse rifle brung up the rear.  
It had taken awhile but they finally found the inert forms of John, Kenny and Stephen. Carol quickly touched the necessary controls that held them in their unnatural states. As she went on to the next one, Chris was slapping at Stephen to wake up. Ginge was fidgeting around, as nervous as he could be.  
A loud rumble outside made them pause for a bit before continuing. Ginge walked around to make sure that there weren't any surprises waiting for them. As he was looking over their surroundings, he bumped into a rack of metal bars causing them to collapse and making him accidentally firing the air pulse weapon toward the machine. Hitting a component and causing a small explosion on the side.  
Chris immediately turned to his older brother, "Hey now! Watch where you're firing that thing!"  
"Sorry. I bumped into something. Hey. What have we here?"  
"Ginge, don't go to far. Damian could be back any minute," Carol said as she helped a very sleepy Kenny and Stephen out from the cocoon-like tubes.  
"I'll get em," an exasperated Chris replied.  
Chris had a couple good words to fling to his supposedly more sensible brother as he ran in his direction. He saw Ginge standing over another cocoon like tube and pushing a couple buttons. Chris grabbed his hand.  
"What are you doing?" he demanded.  
"I think I found this Warren guy."  
Chris looked down at the sleeping face of a darkened male in his late teens.  
"I think you're right. Don't touch anything. I'm going to get Carol to open this up."  
Before Ginge could say anything, Chris was gone. He didn't understand why Chris didn't believe that he couldn't free Warren. He had watched as Carol undid the other cocoons and it looked relatively easy. Ignoring Chris's remarks, he pulled a lever and pushed a couple more buttons. A smile formed on his face as the expected results began. He heard a body behind him.  
"See? Ginge Harding does have smarts. Told ya I could free em."  
Ginge turned around to face a very angered Damian. He yelped in surprise and without realizing it, fired off a shot at Damian, who was now flying back into the temporal machine.  
The door on the other side burst open and a motorcycle came tearing into the building. Out of control, Lefty had managed to jump off as the cycle continued to go toward the machine. Striking it and causing it to falter a bit on its struts.  
"Hurry! We have to get out of here!" Carol cried out.  
Kim ran inside just as Damian let out a telepathic shriek that every non-telepath and telepath could hear. They clutched at their ears uselessly to try to drown out the sound.  
Ginge tried to fire the air pulse at Damian but his screaming caused him to lose his balance and fire indiscriminately at everything and everyone. They all went for cover on the floor as Ginge continued to pull the trigger. The whole room was spinning on him. He thought he had heard his brother call out his name until the whole world went dark.  
Kim managed to telekinetically reach out to the other air pulse rifle that Lefty had. Doing her best to ignore the shrieking, she pointed the weapon at Damian and fired a couple rounds at him, causing him to jaunt to safety.  
As soon as the noise stopped, Lefty and Kim came up to the others while Chris went to help his brother.  
John was still in a daze, but was able to talk to Carol.  
"Carol, where are we? What's going on?"  
"What's going on is that all of you have to get out of here now."  
They all turned to Warren's voice. Kim immediately took Carol's stun gun out from her holster and pointed it at him.  
"Back off Warren. We're doing what we can. But I'm warning you."  
Warren could only smile at Kim's defiance and sense of duty. She would actually lay down her life if she had to so the others would escape, despite knowing that the weapon she was holding would have no effect on him. He wanted to break her fingers to show her what true power was about. But there was still a clarified and reasoned mind within him.  
"It's only going to take Damian another moment to recuperate his senses and blast you all to oblivion. I can hold him back. But you must leave now."  
"Not without you!" cried out Carol.  
John repeated her words, but with less volume.  
A wall of intense emotion welled up inside Warren. John was being the over protective mother. Like he had always been. A deep part within him knew that his best friend cared about him. But the part of him that was on the surface was one of uncaringness and dark emotions.  
"I'm not sitting still for your crap this time John. Get your can outta here now before I shove a foot up your pompous butt and have you flying into next week! I can barely control myself and right now, I would take extreme pleasure in personally tearing your head off. Go!"  
Before John could argue, Kim pulled at him.  
"He's right. He's not the person you know anymore. We have to get out of here. That machine is going to go anyway. They lost. But we have to get you and the others out of here right now."  
Warren watched as Carol and Kim helped the others out of the building. Keeping Damian down was no more easier than what he would have to do next. It was fairly obvious that Damian wasn't the least bit concerned about what could happen to the others. But Warren would see to it that they would never have to worry about him again. He still retained some sense of morality in his being, even though the extra abilities from his metamorphosis were trying to turn him into something that he had long ago abandoned.  
Warren looked back toward the machine that Damian had constructed. He had told him that it was made to go back to a particular place in time. A time that if disturbed, would have dire consequences for the entire galaxy. Damian had programmed it to run regardless of what would happen. So Warren did the only thing he could do. He would have to destroy the machine. And make sure that nothing would come from the wreckage. Letting his telekinesis swell within him, he proceeded to dismember this terrible construction of evil.  
{{NO!!}}  
Warren turned his head quickly just in time to see Damian begin to telekinetically throw a huge steel beam at him. He jaunted out of the way in time.  
Damian realized his mistake as the beam he flung in anger at Warren, missed, and smashed into the temporal machine. Before he could proceed to do anything about it, he was shoved from behind. Landing face first to the floor, he instinctively rolled away just as a telekinetically thrown table landed in the same spot.  
{{You will indeed pay for this outrage.}} seethed a very dangerous sounding Damian.  
Damian quickly and savagely went into Warren's mind, bringing out all the unpleasant memories of his youth. Overwhelming him with them and causing his brain to go into overload.  
Warren was quickly losing consciousness but there was a part of him that was strangely satisfied. He knew he was dying but he had rescued his friends, he had beat this metamorphosis at its own game. He had kept Damian from doing whatever evil deed he was going to do. He felt that he had repaid his debt from his inactivity beforehand from a couple years ago. As he perceived what he thought would be his last look at the physical world, he glanced toward Damian's machine as it began to fall apart from the various fires. Then a quick light invaded his vision and then, complete and welcome darkness.  
Carol, John, Kim and Chris had helped the others to run as quickly away from the enflamed building. A terrific explosion caused them all to lose their balance and fall to the ground. They tried their best to cover themselves from the flying debris that landed indiscriminately around them.  
"Warren!"  
Even though John was still weak, he managed to grab a hold of Carol's arm to keep her from going back into the burning building.  
"Carol! He's fine. I'm sure he jaunted out of there before it went. We have to leave here now before the authorities arrive."  
Chris and Lefty were helping a very dazed Ginge onto his feet. He was still dizzy and out of sorts from Damians mental attack.  
"John, you and the others do that jaunting thing you do. Lefty and I know someone who lives near here. We'll head there too so we won't be seen by the authorities," said Chris.  
"Make sure to take him to a hospital and let us know where you are. I'm sure that we're going to have to undo whatever damage that Damian did to him," replied John.  
7:46 p.m.  
I am sorry John. But I find no trace of Damian or Warren anywhere.'  
"He's not dead Tim. He's not. I would've felt it," John insisted.  
Kim agreed, "I'm sure he isn't John. But more than likely they're both lost in the time stream somewhere."  
John, everybody. I am receiving a communication from the Federation emissaries.'  
The young telepaths looked toward the monitor as the picture of Kim's mentor, Astra, appeared on the screen. A look of extreme concern on her face.  
"Kim, is everything okay? We've read a massive temporal disturbance emanating from near your position."  
Kim took a deep breath. She knew it would be coming to this. She had failed in her mission and now she would have to bear the responsibility.  
"I think you better come down here Astra. We ran into Damian."  
Kim watched as Astra's eyes widened for a bit. Then the calm demeanor of her personality fell into place again.  
"I see. We'll be right down. Is everybody alright?"  
"As much as can be expected."  
Astra nodded.  
As the screen went dark, Tim spoke up.  
John, there is a call for you from your father.'  
A surprised look registered across his face. Even though he was still eager to look for Warren, his father calling here was a rarity in itself. It would have to have been something quite serious for him to do that.  
"Put it on the speakers Tim."  
"Son?"  
John put forth his best, unconcerned voice, "I'm here dad. Is something wrong?"  
"I'm not sure. I have a guest here who wants to know where Warren is. Have you ever heard of a person called Job Atherton?"  
Warren's teacher?What was he doing here?  
He cursed softly under his breath. As if things weren't happening enough as it was. He looked around at the others who were waiting for his answer and what he would do.  
"Okay dad, I'll be there in a couple minutes. I just have to take care of a couple matters."  
"I understand. I'll tell him you'll be here within fifteen."  
As the line went dead, Stephen came up to the table.  
"I thought we were going to the hospital to make sure Ginge was okay."  
John looked at Stephen, "You are."  
A look of surprise registered across Stephens face as John quickly turned to Carol and Kenny.  
"I want you two to stay here. You can help explain what happened to the emissaries."  
"But John, what about Warren? We still have to look for him," said Kenny.  
"We will. But I have to let Job know whats happened. He deserves that."  
"I'll stay here as well," said Kim, "Astra is going to want to know what's happened here as well."  
John acknowledged her and pulled Stephen towards him.  
"I'll jaunt with you to the hospital first and show you what needs to be done with Ginge, if he needs it."  
A relieved Stephen looked gratefully at John. He had been wondering how he was going to help their friend. As they disappeared from the jaunting pad, the lights remained on as four figures reappeared within the same spot.  
The persons of Harry Steen, Astra Utana and two Federation emissaries stepped down from the pad. Quick welcomes and greetings had turned into a serious conversation about what had happened in the past twelve hours. As they were trying to determine what course of action they would do, another brilliant light shown on the jaunting pad, causing them all to shield their eyes.  
[That light looks familiar Carol.] Kenny pathed.  
[I know.]  
As the light faded, the familiar face of Peter, the time guardian appeared. He stepped down from the jaunting pad followed by a young person his age of Oriental decent.  
An overjoyed Carol came up to him and gave him a quick embrace, "Peter. What are you doing here?"  
Peter sadly smiled across at his friend, "I wish it were under better circumstances Carol. It concerns your friend Warren."  
A voice immediately spoke up, "You know where he is?"  
Peter looked at Kim, "Yes I do. And if we don't get there quickly, the future of both our worlds will start to unravel."  
TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
